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Teenagers

Parenting teenagers has its ups and downs. Get advice from Mumsnetters here.

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Original poster

14 year old DS slow growth

28 replies

Madhairday · 09/01/2018 09:40

My Ds has always been short for his age, with small feet too. The rest of the family are fairly tall. He's fed up of people telling him he'll have a growth spurt because it doesn't seem to have happened. No sign of puberty and he is 5ft, at just 14. I wonder if I should be seeking any medical advice about this, or is it within normal bounds? He's healthy and happy apart from being fed up of being the short one. Any advice/experience of slow growth in teen boys?

OP posts:

numbereightyone · 09/01/2018 09:45

It isn't unusual for a boy to have not started his growth spurt yet. DS1 only started quite recently (he's 16).

titchy · 09/01/2018 10:07

No sign of puberty at all - so no pubes or hairy legs? That's unusual and might be worth a blood test.

Some signs though, just not the obvious growth ones yet, then don't worry - he will grow!

Whinealot · 09/01/2018 10:09

Ds was 15 before any signs appeared at all. I took him to the doctor but it was explained that any hormone treatment isn't great and should only really be a last resort. So it was watch and wait.

SheSparkles · 09/01/2018 10:12

My ds will be 16 in May and is going through a big growth spurt right now. He was stuck at about 5’4 since he was about 14 until about 2 months ago, with his feet being a size 7 for about 2 years. I can honestly almost see him grow by the day just now. He’s just about overtaken me (5’7) and I’ve just bought him size 9.5 shoes.....not uncommon for boys at this age, I’d say half his friends are way taller than him and half way shorter

chasingmytail4 · 09/01/2018 10:13

My eldest was similar, a scan of his hand bones showed delayed puberty, he was about three years behind average. He was offered testosterone injections to speed things up, but chose to wait for nature to take its course - which it did. He shot up at 18 and has only just stopped growing recently now he's in his early 20s. FWIW, I think the doctor's reassurance that it would happen eventually really helped him cope with some tricky teenage years.

Fionne · 09/01/2018 10:15

You could be describing one of my sons. In fact we were never away from the dr who was very patient with him and said to him one day - I know how difficult the locker room can be when you feel you don’t measure up.

Any this went on till he was about 15 and within a year he had grown to the 6 foot 2 he now is. He literally did just have growth spurts.

Original poster

Madhairday · 09/01/2018 10:23

These are reassuring, thank you.

Titchy - no hair on legs, and no idea re pubes, he'd be mortified if I asked. I guess a GP advice wouldn't be a bad thing and might actually reassure him as pp have said?

His feet are only size 4. His best friend is about 5ft10! He's constantly teased at school and he doesn't cope well with teasing. Doesn't help that his sister has always been tall, by his age she was 5ft7 so he just feels left behind.

OP posts:

numbereightyone · 09/01/2018 10:37

It may be a good idea to find out when his males relatives started puberty. Chances are they were late too, which may be reassuring for your DS.

Original poster

Madhairday · 09/01/2018 20:35

Thanks, number. I'll try and find that out!

OP posts:

lljkk · 09/01/2018 22:19

DS is 5'2" tall, 13y+7m, no signs of puberty. Feels slightly bemused.

EatforEngland · 14/01/2018 21:32

My D'S experiences this and we went for treatment. He was 5ft and not showing any signs of puberty. NHS help was too slow and he was getting really depressed so we saw a private endocrinologist who agreed that he certainly did need treatment - he was 15 by then. He had a course of testosterone injections over 4 months and the difference is remarkable. He is now growing, voice has broken, has hair and is much happier. It was well worth it.

Wellthatsit · 14/01/2018 21:57

My son was 15, size 4 feet, about 4 foot 11 and absolutely no signs of puberty. He was checked by a paediatrician, bone age scan showed him to be 2 years behind average , and he was offered hormone treatment. The doctor said we coukd wait a bit longer before being too worried but that he was also happy to go ahead with treatment.

He had 3 injections of low dose testosterone and it started things off. A year on and he has grown to 5'2", size 5.5 feet and a low voice. Am assuming there is hair growth but haven't seen!

My DS is still small but both me and his dad are below average so he will probably never be big.

I think a trip to the GP for a referral would be a good idea if it's bothering your DS OP. Most likely he will catch up eventually but aa little helping hand cam go a long way, and the treatment just kickstarys the natural process, nothing more.

Wellthatsit · 14/01/2018 21:58

kickstarts

NetflixNN · 14/01/2018 22:04

Is he particularly light? My DS was 15 when he started puberty, weeks from starting a course of testosterone when he just started growing like a weed. It's thought it was because he is super slim and weight is one of the triggers for it all to go. He's nearly 16 and still not hairy/deep voice but definitely growing fast. Always an idea to just flag it with the GP then if they want to do tests they can and if not it's there in his notes if nothing changes in the future.

He no longer finds me asking him if he has armpit hair amusing so will have to wait for summer .

Chewbecca · 15/01/2018 19:31

DS is 14 and in year 9. We had parents evening last week and I was struck by the difference in the boys there. They were either great big hairy, spotty, greasy boys or titchy fresh faced boys, I would guess around 1/3 were fresh faced 5 footers so seems normal to me based on that one evening.

Original poster

Madhairday · 17/01/2018 08:46

Thank you for all your thoughts. Netflix, he is light, I just checked the NHS thing and he's around the 10th percentile so I guess it makes sense regarding puberty waiting until he is heavier.

Interesting to hear about experiences with testosterone injections too. I think I'll sit him down and ask him what he'd like to do at this stage. I think he is really bothered by it but he's at a very sensitive stage so I don't want him to think I'm worried, it's a very fine balancing act with him

I agree that height varies so much at this age. In his year group (year 9) most of the girls have grown a lot but the boys vary more. It's just hard being the very shortest. Yesterday he came home upset after being teased yet again about it in basketball.

OP posts:

numbereightyone · 17/01/2018 09:00

That's so tough Madhairday. DS was miles behind some boys in years 9 and 10 but he has really started to catch up. He was horribly teased during this time but that was nipped in the bud thank goodness. He has only just started to develop facial hair, so he''s very late compared to some of the boys who started in year 7 or even earlier.
Perhaps it is a good idea to look at his diet and whether he's getting enough sleep. One of DS's friends was complaining about being short and when I asked him how much sleep he gets it was clear he isn't getting enough. I pointed out to him that he can only grow if he sleeps! The same applies to diet. Encourage your DS to make sure he eats plenty of calcium rich foods, dairy and green leafy veg and protein rich foods.

MynewnameisKy · 17/01/2018 11:19

Hopefully this link https://www.rcpch.ac.uk/system/files/protected/page/NEW%20Boys%202-18yrs%20(4TH%20JAN%202013).pdf

will give some guidance. It will let you see where he is on the chart and it also gives stages of puberty.

I went through this with Ds and then he started his growth spurt a few months later. He was however deficient in calcium and Vitamin D.

JustDanceAddict · 19/01/2018 18:25

Not true re weight. My 13 yr old DS is 5ft7 and 7 stone. He’s a rake but there’s nowt wrong with him except needing some bit D. Dr has done tests etc. I would see GP as 5ft is v short, although DS does tower over most of his friends!

ChoudeBruxelles · 19/01/2018 18:33

That growth chart is scary. Ds is the opposite height wise. Year 7, tallest in year struggling with emotions of early puberty and teasing from friends for his height. If he carries on on the trajectory he’ll be 6’6”.

MynewnameisKy · 19/01/2018 19:22

Choude it's maybe worth a trip to the GP although early puberty in boys is usually before 9 it's possible that there are other things that could cause it.

These things are usually fairly conservatively managed so they usually measure and observe for a while before they decide on treatment.

It would be worth looking back on red book to see what centile he was on in early years.

Remember that chart is for interpretation by trained professionals so there might be something else relevant that your not aware off.

ChoudeBruxelles · 19/01/2018 19:41

MynewnameisKy He’s always been tall. He’s 99th percentile. Always been around there. I’m not worried rally apart from where I’m going to buy shoes from

FizziWater · 19/01/2018 19:49

Choud DS1 started puberty at 10/11 and was tallest in year 7 at almost 6'. Shoe size 11. That was pretty much it though. He is now 22 and 6'2".

DS2 showed no sign of puberty at 15. Then shot up in Y11 and is now 6'4".

EveryoneTalkAboutPopMusic · 20/01/2018 09:02

DS is in Yr9 and a few of his friends are around 5’, the odd one is shorter.

10thingsIhateAboutTheDailyMail · 20/01/2018 09:15

How tall are you and DH? Height is mostly genetic

I have a 15yr old DS, and his cohort is really varied! Some look like grown men, some like little boys. I know quite a few boys who only started growing/voice break/puberty around 16/17 (at college)

By all means, take him to the GP, but tread carefully. (You say you are sensitive, so it will be fine). My mum took me to the docs when I hit 6ft at 14, and she was horrified on my behalf. Her being horrified dented my self esteem somewhat. They did the wrist scan (growth plates) and said I would end up 6 2". It was too late for hormone treatment. Anyway, different for girls but overly tall girls are teased as much as smaller boys. I wish my mum had not felt horrified but instead told me "you're great as you are" . Anyway, puberty in boysstarts later than girls, and I don't think 15 is that late.

Put your height and DH height in the nhs height predictor for kids.

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